A quarter century later, there are no easy answers to the Pete Problem
Three decades after he became the alltime hit king, Pete Rose sticks to a heavy schedule of appearances and autograph sessions that earn him more than $1 million a year.
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By 1968, when he won his first batting title and finished second in the MVP voting at age 27, Charlie Hustle was already one of the game's brightest stars.
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Rose told the room that he finally understood what it meant to "reconfigure" his life. He said, "I disrespected baseball." He looked at Perez -- calling him, "like a brother to me" -- and apologized directly, and also apologized to the other teammates from the Big Red Machine. "I'm a hardheaded guy," Rose choked out. "But I'm a lot better guy standing here tonight. .... I guarantee everyone in this room I will never disrespect you again." As he fought to get his composure, he added, "I love the fans, I love the game of baseball, and I love Cincinnati baseball."
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To purchase a copy of Pete Rose: An American Dilemma, go here.
